Footwear



R. MALING Sept. 30, 1941.

FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 20, 1940 fnf/Zay Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PTNTOPFICE Application August 20, 1940, Serial No. 353,365

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in footwear.

More particularly it relates to a foot covering adapted for wear over Womens shoes, being of resilient textile material for fitting and hugging the contour of the shoe and of the ankle of the wearer, with provision for the shoe heel, of whatever style or height, to serve as the heel in use of the covering. The invention has particular utility for protectively covering evening shoes which may be worn in inclement weather to an outdoor function, such as a football game, to be followed by dinner, the theatre or dancing.

It is an object of the invention to provide a protective covering for womens shoes which will be self-conforming to lit a variety of sizes and types of shoes.

Another object is to provide such a covering which may be a neat and an attractive addition to an outing costume.

Still another object is to provide warmth for the wearers foot in addition to protecting her shoe.

It is, moreover, an important feature that my improved shoe covering is economical to manufacture, being provided with an outsole without requiring any lasting operation.

The mentioned objects and results may be at tained by employing a sock or stocking, woven, knitted or crocheted in a usual manner except that the bottom of the heel portion is provided with a resiliently extensible hole for accommodating the heel of a shoe, and for fitting and hugging the basal regionl of heel no matter what its style or contour.

A thin flexible sole of wear-resisting material underlies the forepart of the foot of the sock, being cemented or otherwise secured thereto, with a flexible shank portion terminating close to the hole in the heel.

If desired, an insole may be provided within the sock, terminating short of the hole at the heel region, or itself having a hole suitably large to accommodate a suitable variety of heels.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claim, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an article of foot- Wear` embodying features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan of the article of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-section on 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing the article of Figure l protectively covering a shoe; and

Figure 5 is a fragment of a modified form having an insole within the sock. Y

`Referring to the drawing, the upper I0 may be a conventional sock of resilient textile material,

preferably woven, knitted or crocheted of wool,

to be resiliently conformable to the contour of whatever shoe and ankle may be inserted therein. The sock, however, is provided at its heel region with a hole I2 whose marginal regions are stretchable so as to accommodate heels of various sizes, shapes and styles, and to neatly hug the basal portion of whatever heel is projected through the hole. A band I4 of elastic material may be embodied in the sock material around the hole, with the sock material gatheredV at the marginal region to permit of its spreading with stretching of the elastic band.

The normal resilience of the sock material causes the remaining portions of the sock to neatlyhug the contour of the shoe upper and the wearers ankle.

A flexible outsole I6 of wear-resisting material, such as leather, is secured to the under region of the forepart of the sock, with a shank portion I8 stopping short of the hole I2.

The outsole may be cemented or stitched to the sock in any suitable manner, without any lasting process as in shoe making, although a last or other form may be inserted -temporarily in the sock to facilitate the laying on and securing of the outsole.

If desired the outsole may extend at the forepart so as to curve up over the 4toe of the sock, as at 20; or a suitably flexible outsole may extend a little up the sides of the sock all around its forepart.

In any case the covering will be of such a generally self-conforming nature that it will hug the contour within it in a neat and attractive fashion. By employing suitable colors in the sock, the invention may be fitted into any costume color scheme.

In Figure 5 the covering is given greater stability and durability by inclusion of an insole 22 within the forepart of the sock I 0, this having a general contour similar `to the contour of the outsole 24.

Preferably the sock will have a conventional elastic top 26 for holding the covering snugly in place. Also by employing a good grade of woolen sock the invention provides warmth for the foot of the wearer in addition to protecting her shoe.

I claim as my invention:

n An article of footwear comprising a foot-enclosing element made of resiliently stretchable textile material conformable to the contour of a shoe inserted therein, said material having extent fto underlie the full area of forepart of the shoe; an insole Within the foot-enclosing element, secured =to said underlying portion of the textile material, and extending throughout the forepart area of said element, and terminating short of the heel reg-ion; a exible outsole secured to the l0 outer side of said underlying portion of thetextile material and terminating short of the heel region; there being a hole in said element at the n 

